Mayor Tory Urged to Keep His Commitments to a Healthy Environment

Posted by Franz M Hartmann203sc on December 04, 2015

On Tuesday, TEA’s Executive Director Franz Hartmann personally delivered 4,238 letters to Mayor John Tory from Torontonians, asking the Mayor to honour his election commitments for action on the environment.

The delivery was part of a deputation Franz gave to the City Council’s Executive Committee, chaired by Mayor Tory, urging the Committee to adopt a Right to a Healthy Environment Declaration. The declaration was proposed by Councillor Mike Layton as part of the nationwide Blue Dot campaign,an initiative of the David Suzuki Foundation.

Filling two big boxes, the letters were signed by TEA supporters from all parts of the city. The Toronto Environmental Alliance (TEA) has been collecting them since the Mayor was elected in October 2014. They sent a clear signal to Mayor Tory and other Councillors that Torontonians fully support actions that will improve Toronto’s environment.

Thankfully, the Executive Committee agreed to support the Right to a Healthy Environment Declaration. Sadly, though, the Mayor and the Executive Committee did not show support for the environment earlier in the day. Late in the morning, the Mayor and most members of the Executive Committee voted down a plan to make polluters pay the full cost of discharging dirty water into our sewer system.

The 4,238 letters make it clear to Mayor Tory that Torontonians expect him to act in ways that improve Toronto’s environment. It also sends a clear signal to Mayor Tory that TEA and our more than 55,000 supporters will be watching to ensure Mayor Tory does more than simply say he supports environmental rights.